Update: October 9, 2009
This update deals with the U.S. dollar, President Obama, the peace treaty, the Temple Mount, and Iran, among other topics. I am attempting something a bit new, as I have embedded the sources of the information in this update. (See if you can find them! Just kidding!)
The Dollar’s Slide
There wasn’t much good news regarding the dollar in this week’s news. For example, UN undersecretary-general for economic and social affairs, Sha Zukang, called for a new reserve currency. It was also revealed this week that Arab states have launched secret moves with China, Russia and France to stop using the U.S. Currency for oil trading. China and Russia have called for a "global supercurrency". In addition, other countries such as Brazil, India and others have grown tired of “kow-towing” to the sliding U.S. dollar. It appears God is working out His kingdom plan which includes allowing the world to go to a one-world currency in the last three and a half years prior to the return of Christ. To get to that point, the U.S. dollar will need to be replaced by something that will be controlled by one man (certainly not the U.S. president!—see Revelation 13).
President Obama
The big news today is the announcement that President Obama will be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his outreach to Muslims and his aggressive handling of the Israel-Palestinian peace issue. It is the view of Knesset (the legislative branch of the Israel government) member Danny Danon that Prime Minister Binyamin “Netanyahu will have to be very strong against the pressure that will now intensify as Obama will have to prove that he is worthy of the prize.”
The Nobel Prize will likely not make the President any more popular among Israelis where his approval rating is now around 4 percent. That does not bode well for the peace process with the Palestinians, since Prime Minister Netanyahu is very politically savvy and will not go against the vast majority of Israelis to make a deal the U.S. President wants.
But I believe this also fits with Biblical prophecy; for I have pointed out in past updates that the Middle East peace treaty will not be between Israel and the Palestinians. Instead, it will be one made between Israel and ten other countries, five of them likely from the Middle East and, most likely, five European nations. This provides a segue to the next segment.
Peace Treaty
I came across a variety of articles this week on the Middle East peace process. A Washington Post article discussed how Hamas, the radical Palestinian group holding the Gaza Strip hostage, will not allow a deal to be made between Israel and the Palestinians. A New York Times article mentioned that Israel Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman will tell the U.S. envoy that peace with the Palestinians is not possible right now. The editor of the Jewish Week expressed great frustration at the approach of the Obama administration toward Middle East peace, indicating that nothing has been accomplished, nor will be accomplished, if there is not a change in approach and philosophy. A Jerusalem Post article indicated that nothing can be expected in the way of Middle East peace if Mahmoud Abbas is involved due to his plummet in approval the last few weeks among Palestinians. So, suffice it to say
Interestingly, there is now a movement begun by Israel’s Foreign Minister to move away from the U.S. in terms of lone dependence upon us and build coalitions among other nations. This sounds more in line with Biblical prophecy, particularly when we realize that, while Israel is at the center of God’s prophetic plan, the United States is nowhere to be found in that picture.
I also found a Jerusalem Post article to be highly interesting because it stated that the Temple Mount is the key to a peace treaty—at least one between Israel and the Palestinians. The reason I found that thesis to be so interesting is because, according to Daniel 9:27, the rebuilding of the Temple (on the Temple Mount, of course) will be part of the treaty between Israel and ten other nations. Therefore, it is fascinating to me to see the Temple Mount in any of the discussions of Middle East peace.
By the way, there were several articles about the Temple Mount in the news this week.
Temple Mount
Protests among Palestinians broke out due to Islamic clerics calling for them to “come and defend the Mount”. As a result, the Temple Mount was closed during the Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) holiday. The official Palestinian statement condemned what it called a plan by Jews to "perform religious rituals" in a compound containing the al-Aqsa mosque, Islam's third holiest site. Apparently, the calls to defend the Mount came because some Jewish groups planned to visit the Mount before Yom Kippur. If this is the reaction among the Palestinians just because some Jews wanted to visit the Temple Mount, how will God ever bring the Middle East to the point of allowing Israel to rebuild the Jewish Temple on the mount? It seems He will use the interest of ten other nations to accomplish this, along with an apparent increased Jewish interest in rebuilding it. (By the way, it is interesting to note that there is now an increased interest in the Temple Mount among Jews in Israel.)
What could cause this willingness among other nations—most likely five of them being Arab—to provide Israel that kind of access to the Temple Mount? I believe God could use Iran to bring them to that point.
Iran
As Gomer Pyle, one of my favorite philosophers, used to say, “Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!” There were a number of articles this week about Iran. Who would have expected that?! But I only downloaded my favorite dozen Iran articles this week.
I have to begin with the ironic article of the week—the one in which France lectures the U.S. regarding its dealings with Iran. Yes, you read that correctly. President Sarkozy warned President Obama not to be too light, or take too long, on sanctions against Iran. We are in a very humble place when France lectures us about foreign relations—and they are right to do so!!
The U.S. administration seemed to score points when it got Iran to say “yes” to negotiations; however, according to several articles this week (such as Iran buys time and Iran outmaneuvered West and Iran runs rings around the West), the West has played right into the hands of Iran (once again); for while the U.S. and others sit down over the next few weeks (or so) to talk with Iran, more and faster centrifuges accelerate Iran’s race toward nuclear capability. In the meantime, while talks are taking place, there will be an effort from our administration to delay any Congressional action against Iran—in other words, there will be no additional sanctions against Iran while “negotiations” take place. “Meanwhile, the centrifuges in the main Iranian enrichment facility at Natanz will continue to spin, producing more enriched uranium and enlarging the potential arsenal of Iran's atomic weapons.”
Meanwhile, senior staff members of the U.N. nuclear agency have filed a confidential report that states Iran now has enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear bomb.
A lesson in dealing with Iran was presented this week when, after the Obama administration announced that Iran had agreed to talks, Mehdi Saffare, Iran’s ambassador to Britain and a member of the Iranian delegation to the negotiations, announced that Iran had not agreed to talks. This is Iran doublespeak for, “We’re gonna play ya any way we want to!” Have fun at those talks!
But even if talks go on, and even if sanctions are tried, a Washington Post article this week pointed out why none of the steps the West might take to stop Iran in its nuclear race will work. To underline that point, after world powers convened talks with Iran in Geneva, Iran as quick to point out that there was no change in Iranian direction. And no wonder! A New York Times article this week revealed that Iran has been able to avoid the consequences of sanctions by getting what is sanctioned on the black market.
Another article disclosed Iran’s plan to attack Gulf countries. It’s no wonder the Arab nations do not like Iran! And, of course, there is no love lost between Israel and Iran. In fact, this week a representative of Ayatollah Khamenei threatened to “blow the heart out of Israel”.
Iran is a threat to not only the entire Middle East region, but also Europe. For I have shared articles in past updates that have stated that Iran can now reach some European countries with its missiles. And if Iran acquires nuclear weaponry, the world will be a far more dangerous place.
The only way out is for Israel to attack Iran. And based on an article this week of Iran acquiring a Russian an air defense shield, which would make it much harder for Israel to attack Iran, Israel doesn’t have much time as the clock is ticking.
This week, ABC News reported that the Pentagon asked Congress for $88 million in the emergency Iraq/Afghanistan war funding request to develop a gargantuan bunker-busting bomb called the Massive Ordinance Penetrator (MOP). It's a 30,000-pound bomb designed to hit targets buried 200 feet below ground. It is not particularly useful for our efforts in Afghanistan, but it would be perfect for going after Iranian nuclear facilities buried underground. Hmmm! It seems doubtful that with its current approach that the U.S. would attack Iran, so what is it for? Might the U.S. be intending to put it into Israeli hands?
As I have stated in the past, it seems that Israel will need to attack Iran—and soon. If and when Israel does attack, I believe there will be an overthrow of the Iranian government which will make that nation much tamer than it is currently, fitting into Biblical prophecy much more than it does now. In addition, Arab nations will be indebted to Israel—possibly so much so that they will willingly go along with Israel rebuilding the Temple on the Temple Mount, pushing aside the Palestinians (who stubbornly refuse to make any efforts toward advancement toward a peace deal). All of this could fit quite nicely into Biblical prophecy. And if all of this occurs as I hope, Jesus’ coming in the air for Christians cannot be far away. (“Come, Lord Jesus!”)
Update on My Book
I took vacation this week to work on the book. I needed to write a new first chapter (one cannot have too many first chapters! Just kidding!) as a result of the change in title (to Apocalypse 2012: The Ticking of the End Time Clock: What Does the Bible Say?), and I am pleased with the work I have done on that. In fact, I completed that chapter on the 2012 phenomenon, showing it is much ado about nothing; and using it to introduce what the Bible says will really occur in the near future.
I also used the week to do some editing on the book. The editor wanted me to reduce the manuscript by 20,000 words (what’s 80 pages among friends!), which I have nearly done with the terrific help of Cindy Mallett! I have a bit more work to do on that, along with tweaking my epilogue; then I will send it back to the editor (hopefully, by the end of this weekend). Then editing will continue on the publisher’s end.
Please Continue to Pray
Please continue to pray for the editing process. Ask God to make it an even better book, as a result. Also, please pray for the timing of the release of the book—that it might be released soon and in God’s perfect timing. Finally, please pray that God would get the book into the hands of each person open to His word and that He will use the information in it to prepare people for the soon return of Christ.
Thank you so much for your support and prayer!! And thank those of you who continue to forward this update to others. More people are subscribing to the update each week because of your efforts.
Keep looking up!
John